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A new report by Green House authors Victor Anderson and Rupert Read, commissioned by MEP Molly Scott Catowill be launched on Tuesday 28 March from 14.00 – 16.30 at Europe House in central London.

The Brexit vote and the election of Trump have been hailed as marking the reversal of the long trend towards increased globalisation. These changes possibly also mark the end of neoliberalism as the dominant ideology of our times. For opponents of what globalisation and neoliberalism have meant in practice these developments might be seen as welcome. Yet at the same time Brexit and Trump seem highly problematic for anyone concerned with social justice and ecological sustainability.

The report considers the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on trading practices and the opportunity to move to a less globalised and more localised economy. It emphasises that there are many different versions of Brexit, and aims to put a green version firmly on the political agenda.

Note: Panel discussion with Nick Dearden (Global Justice Now) and our New Era colleague Helena Norberg-Hodge (Local Futures and International Alliance for Localisation). Helena’s contribution will be by pre-recorded video due to prior commitments.

As Green Party Finance Speaker and Member of the European Parliament TAXE committee she adds. “Sadly, my work on the European parliament’s special tax committee suggests otherwise”.

She sees clear proposals agreed from the European Commission and parliament being blocked by member states who – rather than co-operate on the issue of tax – are determined to race to the bottom at the behest of corporations, the commercial interests noted by economist Martin Wolf as playing a powerful role in shaping those laws.

Molly concluded: “EU finance ministers are thus not only starving the public coffers but also flouting the democratic will”.

In Tax Haven UK, Issue 1410, however, Private Eye notes that Chancellor George Osborne, who has often claimed to be at the forefront of global efforts to stop tax abuse by multinationals, has yet to implement the changes proposed for this purpose.

Tax Haven UK ends: “A ‘consultation’ on the big tax break exploited by the companies (listed) trundles on and Britain looks set to remain the tax haven of choice for multinationals for a while yet”.